1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of recording three-dimensional (3D) image data, and more particularly to a method of generating 3D image data in a format compatible with the ISO base media file format, and storing the generated 3D image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical media file format includes a header part for describing information on the corresponding media and an image data part for storing compressed media data. While it is possible to store simple image data using the typical media file format, it is not suitable as a comprehensive structure for accommodating various types of media.
An international organization for standardization, Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG), has defined the ISO base media file format as a basic file format applicable in common to various applications. The ISO base media file format has been designed as to hierarchically store data, such as a compressed media stream and configuration information related to the media stream, in multiple containers. The ISO base media file format does not define an encoding or decoding scheme, but basically defines a basic structure for efficiently storing an encoded or decoded media stream.
A stereoscopic image may be configured in various ways according to methods of combining left and right images. With regard to this, in order to represent a stereoscopic image on a display apparatus, it is requisite to store information on a method of combining left and right images, the number and size of divisions of left and right images, the positions of divided images, etc. in a memory of the display apparatus. Also, a stereoscopic image essentially requires temporal information, based on which left and right images are synchronized.
Therefore, it is difficult to efficiently configure a file format for storing a stereoscopic image by using the conventional typical media file format. As the ISO base media file format is not defined in consideration of a structure of a stereoscopic image, it is not suitable for a stereoscopic image.
Accordingly, there is a need for a data storage format defined in consideration of a structure of a stereoscopic image. At the same time, such a data storage format for a stereoscopic image is required to be compatible with the international standard file format, that is, the ISO base media file format, so that it can be applied to various multimedia applications.